


Trial and Error

by imbadatlove



Series: One and the Same [8]
Category: Little Nightmares (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Domestic, Cussing, Dialogue Heavy, Drabble, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:43:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29964498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imbadatlove/pseuds/imbadatlove
Summary: --It had started a couple of days ago.The Thin Man had been indulging in his favourite hobby; neglecting the stack of papers on his desk in favour of watching television. The programme he was watching was 'Veronica's Kitchen', one of, if nottheonly, good programme in the sea of boredom that is The Pale City channel guide. He's not insane enough to be enamoured by raving static like the Viewers just yet, so when an interesting programme had finally reared its head, he'd dropped pretty much everything to watch an episode of it.And it was because he was enjoying the programme, because some God above clearly wanted him to suffer, that Mono had decided at that exact moment to warp through the television screen. The Thin Man didn't even know how he'd channelled to it, and he wouldn't have entirely minded, had Mono not shattered the television screen as soon as he was catapulted out of it.--Alternatively: Mono has a habit of breaking every television he travels through, much to The Thin Man's (and his subsequent bank balance's) displeasure.
Relationships: Mono & The Thin Man (Little Nightmares), The Lady & The Thin Man (Little Nightmares)
Series: One and the Same [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2177634
Comments: 43
Kudos: 87





	Trial and Error

**Author's Note:**

> -recently i received the following comment on one of my fics: 
> 
> _'bonzibuddi on A place to call home_  
>  Do you take requests?? Because I was watching a playthrough of Little Nightmares II and Mono breaks a surprising amount of TVs when he goes through them, and I imagine Thin Dad is not that amused lol. Good work, I love it!'
> 
> -and fuck if i don't absolutely love that idea. 
> 
> -so you can thank the wonderful bonzibuddi for the inspiration behind this fic!

It had started a couple of days ago.

The Thin Man had been indulging in his favourite hobby; neglecting the stack of papers on his desk in favour of watching television. The programme he was watching was 'Veronica's Kitchen', one of, if not _the,_ only good programme in the sea of boredom that is The Pale City channel guide. He's not insane enough to be enamoured by raving static like the Viewers just yet, so when an interesting programme had finally reared its head, he'd dropped pretty much everything to watch an episode of it. It's not like The Thin Man is even fascinated by cooking, and he's not that good at it either--if his baking day with Six and The Lady is of any proof--but there's just something about that irritatingly addictive theme song that lulls him to the screen every time. 

And it was because he was enjoying the programme, because some God above clearly wanted him to suffer, that Mono had decided at that exact moment to warp through the television screen. The Thin Man didn't even know how he'd channelled to it, and he wouldn't have entirely minded, had Mono not shattered the television screen as soon as he was catapulted out of it. 

The Thin Man had frowned and mumbled, **"I was watching that."**

Mono, sheepish about the whole thing, started apologising profusely. He then explained he'd travelled through the television at school because he didn't want to walk home in the horrific weather. That was somewhat understandable, albeit the technique he used was not, but he'd accepted his apology, or rather, the _many_ apologies he'd blubbered at him, and replaced the television. No harm done. 

Until he did it again the next day.

This time, The Thin Man was sitting in his study, regretting allowing the bills and letters to pile up to the extent that they now resembled a small mountain, and the television was providing some background noise whilst he worked. It was the average news programme, and he'd glance up every now and then whenever he heard something particularly interesting had happened or if it concerned him directly. He ignored the weather forecasts, because when was it _not_ raining in The Pale City, but when there was a report about The Pale City boarding school, it'd peaked his interest. And it was because he was interested, because that same God above _still_ wanted him to suffer, that Mono had came crashing through the television at that exact time too. 

The television screen had exploded again. 

The Thin Man's reaction was to close his eyes and forcibly inhale through his nose, trying to remain calm despite hearing the distant cries of his wallet. Then Mono was apologising again, and The Thin Man was in the middle of wallowing and mourning over the money he was about to lose, when Mono exclaimed, amidst his rambling, that he'd be the one to replace the TV.

The Thin Man had merely peeked at him, voice flat and unamused, **"With whose money, Mono."**

And thus The Thin Man replaced the television a second time.

When it happened for the third time, The Thin Man was starting to feel like he was living in his own twisted Groundhog day. 

Before the tsunami of apologies--apologies The Thin Man didn't think held much merit anymore, _as he kept fucking doing it--_ could drown him, he'd held up his hand, silencing Mono before any words could leave his mouth. Mono just stood there with the gall to look almost _innocent_ under his intense scrutiny. **"Are you getting some kind of kick out of torturing me?"**

Mono fidgeted, "I'm not trying to! I just thought if I kept trying, I'd get the hang of it eventually!"

The Thin Man blinked incredulously, **"You've broken three of my televisions in three days."** He punctuated, **"I don't even want to think about the ungodly amount of money I've spent replacing them."**

"I know, I'm sorry," Mono pouted, "I only wanted to train my power..."

**"And you didn't think to come and ask me for help, instead of murdering my bank balance?"**

"...I wanted to impress you." 

**"I am utterly impressed by how many televisions you've destroyed in such a short span of time."**

Mono shuffled his feet against the carpet.

With a sigh, The Thin Man stood and stared down at the now smoking television. **"Here's what's going to happen; I'll teach you how to traverse the Transmission _correctly,_ and you'll stop breaking my televisions. How does that sound?" **

The Thin Man really wanted to ignore how Mono's eyes lit up at that, like all the pieces of some elaborate plan had all fallen into place, "Okay! I'm ready!"

His lips pressed into a thin line. **"I don't know if you've noticed,"** The Thin Man said acerbically, gesturing with his hand to the broken television set, **"But we can't exactly practice with a television that's just met its unfortunate demise."**

Mono's cheeks flushed and his excitement deflated, "When will you teach me then?" 

**"...Tomorrow."**

Those were the events that lead to today, where The Thin Man is carrying one television set in his arms, and using his foot to kick another along the ground. He reaches the living room and places the one he's carrying on the carpet, then situates the other in close enough proximity for them to connect to each other. 

Mono, who is sitting on the couch behind him, _helpful_ _as always,_ tilts his head inquisitively, "I thought you said TVs were expensive?"

**"They are."**

"But you have two." 

**"Yes."**

There's a pause between them.

"...You stole them, didn't you?"

The Thin Man whips around to look at him, **"No, I wouldn't steal. It's a crime."**

Outside the window, a Viewer screeches and paces in circles, like it is wildly searching for something.

Mono looks at it for a second, then turns back to The Thin Man, "So you committed a crime?" 

The Thin Man groans and drags a hand down his face, **"Do you want to learn how to traverse the Transmission or not?"**

Mono nods enthusiastically and approaches the two televisions, now flickering with static. As he reaches up to press his splayed hand to the screen, The Thin Man stops him. 

**"Let me explain first,"** The Thin Man starts, **"The reason you keep breaking the televisions is because you're applying too much force to it. You should feel a connection, but don't shove against it, like you're pushing yourself through it. Allow it to pull you in first."**

"Like this?" Mono asks, planting his hand flat on the screen. White sparks rush into his hand and the static on the screen warps and twists. 

**"Yes, now just wait, you need to connect to the other telev--"**

There's a crackle of static and Mono's little body flies through the television screen before The Thin Man can react. 

The Thin Man blinks at the space where Mono should be standing, deadpan. In retrospect, he should've expected something like this would've happened, given the misfortune of the past couple of days. Still, this revelation doesn't make it any less likely he's going to burst a blood vessel at any moment. He glances at the adjacent television screen. Mono will come through it any moment now, and probably blow that one up too, but that's alright. What's one more TV? It's only a _couple more hundred_ down the drain! His arms cross over his chest, fingers gripping the suit fabric tightly. He waits a bit longer... Why hasn't Mono came back yet? 

That's when the answer hits The Thin Man like a smack to the face. Mono never connected to the other television. 

Which means he could be literally _anywhere._

_For fuck's sake--_

He frantically places his hands against the screen and attempts to tune into the same frequency Mono traversed. It's faint now, a dying glimmer fading from the Transmission, but he manages to connect to its last fragments. It feels oddly familiar against his fingertips--a known location. He doesn't ponder on whether that's a good or bad thing. Electricity swirls around him, and the Transmission tugs at his fibres, so he pushes into the television.

When he remerges into reality, he's standing in a fancy bedroom, decorated with purple wallpaper and several female mannequins, a haunting hum echoing in the air. There, sitting in front of the television, rubbing his head, is Mono. The Thin Man sighs with relief, whilst Mono grins up at him, standing. He has the audacity to look _proud_ after almost giving The Thin Man yet another heart attack. 

"I did it! I teleported and didn't break the television!"

The Thin Man fights the urge to face palm, **"To the other side of the world, might I add."** He shakes his head left to right, **"Don't do that again."**

The melodic humming has stopped, neither of them notice. "Okay," Mono agrees, glancing around the room. He spots the wooden mannequins and immediately cowers, hiding behind one of The Thin Man's legs. "Where are we?" He asks, voice wobbling. 

Now, The Thin Man _does_ face palm, but his voice holds a new lightness, **"Of all the places to teleport to..."**

A 'tsk' sound comes from the room's door threshold, "Oh yes, I am equally as _ecstatic_ to see you, too." That usual smugness clings to every word. 

The Lady waltzes in, her white kimono dotted with pink flowers trailing on the ground behind her. She stops just before The Thin Man and even with the mask, he knows she's smirking condescendingly at him, "I know you _must_ miss me every day, Mono, but at least let me know before you show up unannounced." 

The Thin Man snorts, **"Think that if it helps you sleep at night,"** He leans in closer to her, grinning, **"But I'm not the one with a television set in their bedroom. With an _open_ signal." **

She flusters, as predicted, tilting her chin up with defiance, "Oh _please,_ don't flatter yourself," She attempts and his grin only grows wider, "I use that for...the news." 

The Thin Man chuckles, **"We both know there aren't any news channels for The Maw."** The Lady mumbles something incoherent, and The Thin Man wagers it's got at least five cuss words in it, **"It seems to me like you have it so a certain somebody can travel here whenever they want."** Even under the shadowed brim of his hat, he gives her a sly wink, **"There's no shame in admitting that _you miss me_ _every day."_ **

The Lady groans exasperatedly, crossing her arms, "Whatever. Why are you here, anyway?" 

**"Oh, you know, just thought I'd come and ask if you wanted to go out for a drink sometime."**

She splutters at that, "Wait, really?" 

**"No."**

The Thin Man laughs and he narrowly dodges the swat The Lady was about to give him. "Real funny, asshole." She grumbles, "Why are you _really_ here?"

Before The Thin Man can provide an answer, a small voice speaks up from the floor, "Asshole?" 

The Thin Man glares down at Mono, now peeking up at him from his hidden position behind his leg, **"Don't use that language, Mono."**

"Oh, I wasn't even aware he was here!" The Lady bends down a gives him a little wave, extending back up and whispering between them, "What is this, house invasion bonding?" 

He scoffs, **"No. I was trying to teach Mono how to traverse the Transmission and he ended up teleporting here."** The Thin Man levels her with a stern look, **"And keep the language to a minimum, please."**

"Ah, I see. So your _dumbass_ still hasn't learned from your previous mistake," The Lady feigns innocently, enjoying the way The Thin Man's jaw tenses with obvious annoyance, "Let's hope he doesn't use it to _fuck_ with you some more." 

**"Mature as always,"** He rolls his eyes. Mono pulls on the hem of his tailored pants, radiating anxiety from the mannequins in the room. The Thin Man lifts him up, and he buries his face in his shoulder, **"I suppose we won't be bothering you any longer. I'm so _very_ sorry I can't stay," **

The Lady is waving a dismissing hand at him, grumbling, "You're impossible," However, she becomes soft when she approaches a distraught Mono, stroking his hair, "Is he afraid of mannequins?" 

**"...If only you saw what we did in that hospital."**

She grimaces, "That's understandable. I'll remove them next time."

His pompous grin crawls back onto his face, **"...So you admit there will be a next time?"**

"You fu--" She quickly catches herself, clearing her throat. The Thin Man can at least appreciate the effort, "Just get out of here, already." 

So he does, departing with a tilt of his fedora. Mono gives her a small wave that she mirrors. 

When they arrive back in their living room, The Thin Man sets Mono down on the couch, **"It's okay, they're gone now."**

Mono opens his eyes, inhaling shakily. He gives The Thin Man a brief smile, then approaches the TVs again. 

**"I think we've had enough practice for today."**

"Can I try it again, please?" Mono begs, dragging out the syllable, "I'm getting good at it!"

**"Will you at least let me explain fully before disappearing this time, then?"**

Mono does. He sits patiently by the television as The Thin Man explains how to traverse the Transmission. He provides an example for him, warping through one television and climbing out of the neighbouring system. When the time comes for Mono to attempt the transportation, he executes it almost flawlessly, repeating the steps in his head like a song; palms against the glass, apply little force, allow the Transmission to pull him in. He disappears through the glass and flies out of the other television set. His landing could use some work, but The Thin Man praises him nonetheless. 

Mono, determined as he is however, continues going in and out of the televisions until he gets it absolutely perfect, landing and all. The Thin Man grows dizzy just watching the little body glitch in and out of reality. He seems to be speeding up, too, transmitting in and out faster. The Thin Man can see the outcome of this, an outcome he's been far too familiar with this past week. Before he can stop him, Mono soars into the screen with excessive power.

When he sails out, the television screen implodes. 

Mono voices his frustrations in a way The Thin Man could've never expected, and it nearly makes him choke. 

_"Fuck!"_

**Author's Note:**

> -mono in 'a place to call home': good boi
> 
> -mono here: back to being a little shit
> 
> -thin dad being really tired
> 
> -thin dad being a troll to lady mom
> 
> -lady mom being a troll to thin dad
> 
> -i love that dynamic
> 
> -i need to do another fic with those two primarily interacting again, like them both sitting in a bar or something and just venting (that's hinted at here tbf)
> 
> -mono having a fear of mannequins, it's more likely than you think. i mean i totally would if i had to deal with those creepy fucks, by far the scariest part of the game
> 
> \--
> 
> -also, regarding requests, feel free to give me some if you want. just stick to the family au theme, and if i like your idea, fuck it i'll write it. 
> 
> -it can be fluff, angst etc, just don't make it super long or super shippy. i enjoy writing the thin man and the lady as being good friends that take the piss out of each other and have a bit of chemistry, but they don't explicitly act upon it. **i do not ship children.**
> 
> -if you do request something ship wise (like incredibly lovey dovey), can't promise i'll write it, but depends on the context of your prompt


End file.
